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Two people died after the small, single-engine plane they were flying in crashed in Midlothian late Wednesday morning. (Published Wednesday, Jan 5, 2011)

Updated at 8:41 AM CST on Thursday, Jan 6, 2011

Two people died after the small, single-engine plane they were flying in crashed in Midlothian late Wednesday morning, officials said.

The plane crashed and struck a row of cedar trees after taking off from a private airstrip northeast of Midlothian.

2 Killed in Midlothian Plane Crash

Two people died after the small, single-engine plane they were flying in crashed in Midlothian late Wednesday morning. (Published Wednesday, Jan 5, 2011)

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford told the Associated Press witness accounts indicated the single-engine Columbia LC41 banked hard left and went down north of the airstrip Wednesday morning.

The crash site is north of the Eagle's Nest Estates, a small private aviation community 22 miles south of Dallas. In the community, many residents have taxiways to private hangers adjacent to their homes off the runway. No houses were hit and there were no other injuries.

2 Dead in Midlothian Plane Crash

According to the Waxahachie Daily Light, 40-year-old James Polewchak of Eagle's Nest, was the pilot. The name of the passenger has not yet been released.

Ellis County officials, local law enforcement and officials with the FAA and NTSB were on the scene Wednesday investigating the crash.